Daring Bakers challenge

Despite my misgivings (from prior bad experiences with lemon curd) I gave this month's challenge a shot. I didn't want a huge tart for my teeny family, so i reduced the recipe by 1/3 and ended up with 4 3.5 inch tarts and one free form one. I should have rolled out the pastry thinner, since I was left with a load of curd and meringue. 

The meringue I used up by folding in some almond meal and making some free-style macarons. Yummy, but not picture worthy... i just piled spoonfuls on a silicon mat, instead of piping it. 

Anyhow, the tart was a great hit with DH, but I found it 'eggy'... there must be a way to neutralize the yolky smell!

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Daring Bakers' January Challenge: Lemon Meringue Pie

This is truly one recipe I would never have tried had it not been for the Daring Bakers! A tart filled with egg yolks and topped with egg whites didn't sound like a very good idea! The host for this month was Jen, and its because of her I baked my first Lemon Meringue Pie! Though am still not not too sure how I like this, but my folks sure liked it. So I might have another go! Also the video posted by Aparna was helpful! Reading on the DB blog a few incidents of 'pools of butter' I decided to cut down the butter by one third, and it wasn't a good idea, because the crust was as far from having a shortbread like texture as could be! It was somewhat hard rather than flaky or crisp. And I also cut the lemon juice by half because I knew no one at my place would like it so tarty, and it tasted just fine. Just that I felt despite the vanilla extract and lemon juice and zest, there still remained a somewhat eggy smell :( But nobody else complained so I guess it was just me. And also, this has nothing to do with taste, but I wonder why my filling looks so pale? Otherwise it was just fine, no runny filling luckily, it set very well. Just have to be careful about the butter the next time I bake this!

Do check out the other Daring Bakers for some more Pies!

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Ouch!

I hope this doesn't look gross, I cut my finger today while chopping some methi (fenugreek) for aalu-saag (potatoes with dil and fenugreek), which happens to be quite a favourite thing with me (the aalu-saag, not cutting my finger, incase you were wondering).

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